Homer blocks ball field plan

200 open acres in township will be kept natural

November 07, 2001|By Annemarie Mannion. Special to the Tribune.

The Homer Township board has decided to preserve more than 200 acres of land as undeveloped open space, with grassy vistas or fields dotted with wildflowers and trees, disappointing athletic clubs that had counted on turning parts of the land into playing fields.

The board voted 4-1 this week not to use a plan for the acreage that included athletic fields, gazebos, walking and bike trails, restrooms, parking lots, stormwater detention ponds and gardens.

In a separate vote, the board approved a mission statement that emphasizes less intensive development of the land, which was bought with the proceeds of an $8 million bond issue approved by township voters in 1988.

The bond issue was promoted as a way of buying several parcels to prevent their annexation by neighboring communities. But residents' recollections differ on how they expected the land to be used.

"Most of the voters voted for it as open space, not as fancy parks with park complexes," said township trustee Nancy Strack. "Maybe [now] we can develop it as open space with education [themes], nature trails or wildflowers."

But Ed Ferrier, president of the Homer Soccer Club, said, "We're very disappointed. We were sort of led to believe that we would be able to build fields."

Strack voted for the mission statement and against using the plan for athletic fields and other more intensive development, which was drawn up by The Brusseau Group of Schaumburg, a park planning firm hired by a previous board.

Only Trustee Greg Fisch, who was on the previous board, voted against the mission statement and for The Brusseau Group's plan.

Bill Shaub, president of the Homer Athletic Club, which serves 1,900 children who play baseball and basketball, insists that plans presented to win support for the open-space referendum measure always included using some land for athletic fields.

"Of course, when promises are made and broken, you're disappointed," he said in response to Monday's vote.

Township Clerk Ethel Rodriguez said a search of township records showed that a plan including sports complexes was presented to, but not adopted by, a previous board.

Ferrier, however, said the previous board spent $4,000 on engineering plans for soccer fields at one of the properties the township has acquired.

"That's money that was wasted along with the $30,000 they spent on The Brusseau Group's plan," he said.

The mission statement applies to the 50-acre site known as the Welter Farm, at Bell Road and 148th Street; a parcel of 60 acres on 151st Street, between Gougar and Farrell Roads; and the 77-acre Purdy Farm, at Gougar Road and 167th Street. It also would apply to an additional 50 acres the board plans to buy.

Strack said the township may look for other sites and funds to pay for building athletic fields.

"If we decide we need land for soccer fields, then we'll have to look for other places for it."

Shaub, however, is skeptical.

"That's all very nice. But it sounds like political rhetoric," he said.